Justin Tuck spent Tuesday morning doing relay races and banging out push-ups on the gym floor with students from Plainfield’s Maxson Middle School.

At the midway point of his ninth season, the Giants defensive end says he feels better than he has in a long time.

How long, exactly?

"The end of 2009, maybe," Tuck said, referring to a six-sack, five forced-fumble season four years ago, before battling a series of nagging injuries.

He admitted that he wasn’t sure he could get back to this point.

"Sure," Tuck said Tuesday in Plainfield, where he promoted the NFL’s Play 60 initiative, which encourages children to participate in more active programs. "Considering the success I’ve had in my career, and understanding that mentally I can still play the game at a very high level.

"But when your body isn’t allowing you to do that in those said years, you start to wonder if your body is going to respond back to when the game was easy. I feel great this year, I think my play is showing that. This is a sign of things to come for me to get back to the ultimate goal."

Tuck, 30, presented the middle school with a $10,000 check to be used toward health and exercise equipment.

Tuck is rated the sixth-most productive 4-3 defensive end in the NFL, according to the analytical site Pro Football Focus.

He credits the turnaround to an "old-school" lifting regimen this offseason. With his body in recovery, he was able to construct a more intense workout plan than in past years, where he was more heavily focused on rehab.

Tuck entered the season feeling stronger and more prepared to force his way through the line than in years past.

In his mind, it was a welcome change from hearing that his career was finished. Even though Tuck admitted to considering that possibility,

"I don’t really listen to speculation that much," Tuck said. "What I worried about was what my teammates say and what the Giants say. And that’s the only thing that motivates me, being the captain in this team and understanding that everyone is looking at me and wants to take my lead as far as how I approached the game, that’s the only thing I care about."